Hello and welcome to another Pocket UX post. These mini UX/UI app designs are just for fun and to keep my skills sharp! Amid a supply chain shortage, Sparesource comes to the rescue! 🛟 Easily discover essential, in-stock supplies at the local, regional or global level with the app.
Project info
Duration: 2-3 days +/-
Concept client: Sparesource
Role: UX / UI Designer
Mediums: Figma, Procreate
Problem Statement
“When global issues arise, I want to see which resources are becoming scarce, so I can prepare by planning ahead.”
Overview
Sparesource helps users discover what local, regional and global resource shortages are being reported. Sparesource allows a small peek into the supply chain and how these resource scarcities might effect users.
Design Process
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Design / Prototype
Test / Feedback
★ Empathize
Competitive Analysis
When I began to research how a crisis can effect the global supply chain, I found myself wanting to solve for helping a user find limited resources locally, with a high level view into regional and global reports. There are professionals who dedicate their whole lives to tackling humanities greatest challenges and push global progress forward. I’d argue to say there are no “competitors” in the heart of this field… and rather see us all on the same team.
I looked to a few existing solutions which help users find the services they need to improve their life circumstances. My solution only scratches the surface and would love to revisit with later iterations and deeper analysis into the user base on all levels.
Please consider learning about and donating to help these hard working entities continue to do what they do!
User Research and Pain Points
While the solutions analyzed solve for humanitarian services, I applied the same needs and desires from these users to the search for limited resources. In reading reviews, I was able to build a good foundation to identify must-have features.
User Persona
This lightweight user persona is based on my high-level research findings, to quickly align who the users might be, and what they need.
★ Define
Project Goals
After gaining some clarity into user needs and how existing apps addressed similar situations, I gathered my research and created a quick list of project goals.
I wanted the user (Ray Resource) to be able to:
see how limited resources were effecting his local community
see both the macro and micro levels of limited resources as a map and list view, view report details, view last update times, and have the ability to be alerted when the issue is resolved.
use a light-weight, native OS app
Task Flow
Due to the fast-paced nature of this challenge, I chose to create a high-level flow for the specific task of signing in, allowing location permissions, viewing local resource reports, and being able to zoom out to the global level.
★ Ideate
Sketches / Wireframing
I had a few ideas for screens outside of the established task flow, but ultimately chose to move forward with the sketches necessary to convey the goal of the original task completely.
★ Design / Prototype
UI Kit / Mini Style Guide
I wanted to give the feeling of calm and safety – keeping within shades of blue. I drew inspiration from images of our blue planet and it’s bountiful resources and nature. I had designed the logo as a location pin, with the globe inside a magnifying glass.
Hi-fi screens
The following screens were built in Figma for iOS language.
★ Test / Feedback
I posted this project online for feedback surrounding the UI and usability and the final screens took this feedback into account.
Results & Lessons Learned
Overall, this exercise was really eye-opening for me. It came with its own set of challenges which set me out on the hunt for more information. I’d love to revisit this project in the future to gather more feedback, build out more screens and of course… research… and more research. Forever learning.
Disclaimer: The thoughts shared in this blog are solely my own and do not represent the perspectives of my professional relationships or clientele.